Rutherford College, NC · standard
ZIP Code 28671
Burke County, North Carolina — Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.
- 597
- 311/sq mi
- $73,929
- Median income
- $317,500
- Median home value
- 26.0%
- Bachelor's or higher
The verdict
Rutherford College pairs an above-median household income with above-median home values, in a low-density, mixed-tenure area.
- Top 47%
- household income, US ZIPs
- Top 31%
- home value, US ZIPs
- 311
- people per sq mi
- 56%
- owner-occupied homes
Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 28671 against every reporting US ZIP.
ZIP code 28671 is classified by USPS as a standard delivery area and covers roughly 1.9 square miles in Rutherford College, Burke County, North Carolina. The area is home to 597 residents, producing a population density of 311 people per square mile, and falls within the New York time zone. These USPS and Census boundary values drive every downstream statistic on this page, including the benchmarks that compare 28671 against North Carolina and the nation.
On the economic side, the median household income for ZIP 28671 sits at $73,929 (7% above the North Carolina average), while per-capita income is $26,933. The poverty rate stands at 8.9% and the unemployment rate at 5.9%. On housing, the median home value is $317,500 (22% above the state average) with median rent at — per month, and 55.7% of occupied units are owner-occupied, a direct signal of whether 28671 behaves more like a homeowner neighborhood or a renter-heavy ZIP.
Education and household profile round out the picture: 26.0% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 61.1, and the average commute is —. We also surface 9 nearby ZIP codes within roughly 10 miles and 6 additional ZIPs sharing Burke County, so you can benchmark 28671 against its immediate geography rather than a national average alone. Every figure is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, HUD Fair Market Rents, and FHFA Home Price Index data, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with HUD →
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + HUD FMR + FHFA HPI ACS demographics, ZBP business establishments, HUD Fair Market Rents, FHFA HPI for ZIP 28671, Rutherford College, NC · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; HUD FMR + FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.
Quick Facts
597
Population
1.9
Area (sq mi)
311
People / sq mi
New York
Time Zone
standard
ZIP Type
Who lives in ZIP 28671?
61.1
Median Age
49.6%
Male
50.4%
Female
0.0%
Foreign-Born
Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
How much do residents earn?
$73,929
Median Household Income
+7% vs state
$26,933
Per Capita Income
8.9%
Poverty Rate
5.9%
Unemployment Rate
How ZIP 28671 ranks nationally
Household income vs. every US ZIP code
Median household income — the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked
$73,929 Top 47% higher than 53% of 30,318 US ZIPs
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Census Bureau — ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What is the education profile here?
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What does housing look like?
131
Total Housing Units
106
Occupied Units
25
Vacant Units
2.42
Avg Household Size
Occupancy Type
$317,500
Median Home Value
+22% vs state
1970
Median Year Built
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)
What businesses operate in this ZIP?
Census Bureau data shows 17 business establishments in ZIP 28671, employing approximately 445 people with a combined annual payroll of $16,320,000.
17
Businesses
445
Employees
$16.3M
Annual Payroll
2
Industry Sectors
| Industry | Establishments | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 6 | 35.3% |
| Other services (except public administration) | 3 | 17.6% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.
Nearby ZIP Codes
Want a side-by-side? Compare 28671 vs 28690 →
ZIP 28671 vs its nearest neighbors, by population
Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28602
Hickory (28602)
28,981 residents
- 28630
Granite Falls (28630)
20,041 residents
- 28612
Connelly Springs (28612)
12,397 residents
- 28638
Hudson (28638)
12,302 residents
- 28690 9,295
Valdese (28690)
9,295 residents
- 28637 1,746
Hildebran (28637)
1,746 residents
- 28619 1,520
Drexel (28619)
1,520 residents
- 28671 597
Rutherford College (28671)
597 residents
- 28667 559
Rhodhiss (28667)
559 residents
What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 28671 ranks #8 by population — useful context the national average alone can't give.
ZIP 28671 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income
Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.
- 28671
Rutherford College (28671)
$73,929 median income
- 28637
Hildebran (28637)
$67,500 median income
- 28638
Hudson (28638)
$67,135 median income
- 28690
Valdese (28690)
$67,000 median income
- 28630
Granite Falls (28630)
$63,835 median income
- 28602
Hickory (28602)
$62,048 median income
- 28612
Connelly Springs (28612)
$54,934 median income
- 28619
Drexel (28619)
$34,881 median income
- 28667 $26,354
Rhodhiss (28667)
$26,354 median income
What this shows By household income, ZIP 28671 ranks the highest of 9 neighboring ZIPs — local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.
| ZIP Code | City | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28690 | Valdese, NC | 9,295 | 2.9 mi |
| 28619 | Drexel, NC | 1,520 | 4.2 mi |
| 28666 | Icard, NC | 368 | 3.7 mi |
| 28612 | Connelly Springs, NC | 12,397 | 6.4 mi |
| 28667 | Rhodhiss, NC | 559 | 5.8 mi |
| 28638 | Hudson, NC | 12,302 | 7.0 mi |
| 28637 | Hildebran, NC | 1,746 | 6.5 mi |
| 28630 | Granite Falls, NC | 20,041 | 7.7 mi |
| 28602 | Hickory, NC | 28,981 | 9.5 mi |
More ZIP Codes in Burke County
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Frequently Asked Questions
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How many businesses are in ZIP code 28671? ▼
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ZIP Code Research Guides
Official Data Resources for Rutherford College, NC
Verify and explore additional data for this area using these official government sources.
Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.